The Darkness Descends
by Firera
Summary: PostKotOR, DS ending. Revan returns, this time more powerful and more dangerous than ever. The Order and the Republic struggle to survive a war created by a woman driven by hatred and vengeance. The age of darkness returns, and none shall be spared.
1. The End is Only The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** Anything that you recognise from the game, or from the movies, or from the books in this story belongs to Mr. Lucas, Lucasarts and Bioware. Those that you don't and are totally new, well, they're mine.

**Author's note:** While writing my Light Side story, Continuation, the evil side of me coaxed and showed me all the wonderful things I could do and made me contemplate on writing a DS one. Well, I gave in to the temptation and here it is. There are some changes I've made so to fit my story. Hope you all will enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

One warning though, since my full attention is paid on Continuation, this fic may not be updated as quickly as I'd like it to be. And I'm a late updater. :p

Special thanks goes to Kat, a.k.a VMorticia (for betaing this), kingoftheworldx (for betaing and helping out with the title), Plutospawn (for giving me her opinions and help with the title), and to Coruscant Publishing (for helping out with the title too). You guys rock!

Without further delay… Here it is!

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**Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic**

**The Darkness Descends**

**Chapter 1: The End Is Only The Beginning**

Only the Force knew how long he had been standing there, staring straight into the deep fathoms of space. Around the bridge of the ship, consoles hummed their monotonous tune. No one paid any attention to those sounds. "Act busy" was all they could think of when the Admiral was here. But little did they know, he was not paying the least attention to their activities.

He stood straight, as all soldiers do, with his hands clasped behind his back. There was an aura of authority around him that was almost intimidating. Yet, deep down inside he was a man full of sorrow; a man who has been through hell and back. None knew of his past, save only a few.

She had broken his already broken heart and killed his soul – the very same soul that she pulled back from the depths of despair. He couldn't understand why life seemed to be toying with him, testing him. Sighing deeply, he lowered his auburn head and frowned; two strands of hair fell.

He had given her his heart and his life. She was the second chance he had never expected since his wife's death. But that chance was taken from him. She was gone, long gone. For two years, to be exact.

He recalled what she had looked like. He thought of her long silken black hair, which seemed to shine with glow of its own. He remembered how it felt when she wrapped her long graceful arms around him, enveloping him in a sea of warmth and happiness. Her smile and laughter appeared in his mind, and he smiled at the memory.

Then her eyes, her mystical silver-grey eyes materialized before him. He stared deep into them, searching hungrily for the truth and love in them. But suddenly, a thick miasma clouded his vision. A pair of cold, hard, empty eyes replaced the former, and a red beam of light ignited before them.

To him, he himself had died that very day, when she had tried to strike him down with her very own blade. There had been no mercy in her gaze – none of the love or warmth that she had for him before. He wondered if love had really existed between them.

**

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**

**Time: Two years** **back**

**Location: Revan's flagship, The Prodigious**

He stood before the great door leading to the viewing platform on the _Prodigious_. He could feel his heart beating wildly, threatening to tear out of his chest. Fear swept through him, for he feared to see the truth he had tried so hard to run away from. Memories of his last glance at the Ebon Hawk crewmembers flashed through his mind. He wiped the blood off his face and opened the door.

Each strode he took seemed to get heavier and heavier. Even as a non-Force sensitive person, he could feel the darkness in the ship. Sweat trickled down his forehead, but he hardly noticed it, and focused only on what was ahead of him.

She had her back to him, and her apprentice stood by her side. The younger woman turned to look at him with a fiendish smile. She whispered something into her master's ear, but her master seemed oblivious to what she had said.

He stopped a few feet away from her. She didn't turn her head to greet him. He searched his mind for words, words that he hoped would change her. Just as the apprentice was about to speak again, she spoke.

"Leave."

"But, Master…" The brunette protested but stopped when she saw the all too familiar expression on her master's face.

"Leave." The Dark Lord repeated, this time with a hint of irritation in her voice.

The brunette bowed and left, but not before throwing a dirty glance at him. He returned the look.

The room was quiet. Abnormally quiet.

"I trust that you are not here to declare your loyalty." It was a statement. She still had her back towards him.

He did not speak.

"Tach got your tongue?" She gave a small chuckle at her own joke.

"Come back." That was all he could say. He saw her shoulder rise and fall. But she still didn't turn to look at him. Then she shook her head.

Slowly, she spun around. Her eyes pierced into his, and her voice was icy cold. "To what? To all the lies the Jedi have fed me all these years?" She gave a shrill laughter made his blood run cold. "I'm not going to be a fool and accept what they did to me. Never. This is who I am. Who I truly am."

"Please, beautiful. This is not you. It never was you. I know under all that darkness there's still some good in you. You can't have just changed like that. Please, come back to who you once were." He pleaded, though in his heart, he knew that it was futile to change her. But he couldn't give up. He could never give up. He loved her too much.

"To who I once was? Who was I but the Sith Lord? You can't possibly mean the poor, obedient, virtuous soldier that the Council _programmed_ me to be? Foolish I must say. I've had enough with the so-called righteousness of the Jedi. They are worse than what the others had said about us Sith. They sit in their High Council chamber and act as if they are saints who have never done anything wrong. But if you look closely they are just manipulative and devious hypocrites. And another thing, they are cowards, all of them. They sent a mere child to confront me while they hid behind their impenetrable walls. I feel ashamed to have served them before!" the Dark Lord spat and shook her clenched fist at him.

He shook his head. "You once told me never to let anger or hatred consume me. You said that it'd do nothing to ease my pain or improve matters. But now you are shoving it away, just like you shoved me away. Let go of your hate and anger. You know that the Council wiped your mind just to give you another chance to live and redeem yourself. You know that hating them can do nothing to change the past. Please, I beg you, throw away the dark side and come back. Be the woman who I once knew."

Her silver-grey eyes seemed dark and hollow to him. She gave him a long and hard stare. Disbelief was etched on her face. "So now we are talking philosophy. It's so unlike you, soldier. What _did_ they do to you? You've always disliked the Jedi." She held up a gloved hand. "No, no, I don't want to know.

"What I said before was wrong. Anger and hatred fuels me. They give me the satisfaction that calmness and serenity could not. I'm more powerful with these emotions. Look at me. Look at my power and armada. _These_ are the chances that I'm given. The Council saved me to kill me, to kill my very own soul. Oh, I _am_ going to change the past. I'm going to change the past that the Council deprived me from. I'm the true ruler of the dark side." She paused, and lifted her chin. "And remember this, soldier, I _did not _shove you away. _You_ did."

He flinched. "I admit that I was in the wrong. But don't let that hate for me be the reason of your defection! You told me that you'd never return to this…this darkness!" He gestured desperately with his hands. _Please come back…please. I love you._

"Why would you think that the reason I changed was because of you?" She was expressionless as she walked towards him slowly. "It's too late. It was too late ever since you walked out on me."

The Dark Lord was half a head shorter than him, and she had to look up at him. He closed his eyes and searched for the words again; he found none.

Suddenly he felt something touching him. He opened his eyes to see her hand on his chest, and her eyes gazing intently at him.

"It's too late for me. But perhaps it's not too late for you." Her hand crawled up to his collarbone and she stroked him softly. He shivered. She always knew how to make him oblige with her requests, and she rarely used this technique. But she was using it now, and he was determined not to give in.

"What are you trying to say?" He spoke through gritted teeth. _No, not from her…please._

Her lips twisted and she smirked at him. "Becoming a Sith can _very_ rewarding. Anything you wanted before but couldn't afford or get can be yours. You said that you'd like to have your own ship. I can give you one. I'm offering you the position of admiral of the Goliath and my entire Sith armada. You will have power, fame, anything." Her thumb traced his jaw, as she stood closer to him.

He shook his head. "A long time ago, I would've liked to have a ship. But like I said, it was a long time ago. I don't want power or fame or anything."

Her touch was driving him near insanity.

"What about me? Isn't that what you came for? Stay with me, be by my side and help me rule this empire." Her face was centimetres close to his own and he could smell the faint scent of gardenias. "I _need_ you. You know that." She closed the gap between them, pressed her body to his and slid her other arm around his waist. This time her index finger traced his lips as she gazed intently at them. Her voice was almost pleading when she emphasized the word "need".

Seduction became her tool of manipulation, and she didn't even try to use Force Persuasion. He looked at his lover with grief in his eyes. He was extremely tempted – staying by her side meant not losing her. He was intoxicated by her touch; he desired her, but…

"I came for you hoping that you would turn back, not to join you. I won't betray the Republic, no matter what." He spoke with grim determination.

Her eyes flared with fury and he could almost see the anger blazing in them. She hid the anger as quickly as it came. This time, she really used the Force to aid her.

"_You've always wanted to be with me. You said you wanted to protect me_."

She murmured softly against his lips. Her eyes penetrated into his and she hammered the Force into him. He resisted when she kissed him lightly.

He winced when he felt the Force, and he fought back. "I said that I wanted to protect you from you, not that I wanted to help you destroy yourself."

His eyes fixed onto hers with great determination in them. The Dark Lord knew her attempt was useless and she understood his decision. She gave him a wry smile and hissed, while letting go of him and stood back. "Very well. If this is what you want. Don't blame me, Republic boy." Her lightsaber ignited on with a snap.

He looked at her in disbelief. Sadness washed over him, but he stood still, expressionless and ready.

He was not going to fight for his life.

"Those who defy me shall face death, including you. But I promise this will be over very quickly, and painless too." She snarled and lifted her lightsaber, ready to strike down the man she once loved.

He stood calmly before her, though deep down in his heart and mind he was so hurt his hands were shaking, but he smiled at her. "I love you, Revan. I always have, and always will. I'm sorry."

She didn't flinch or stop and the blade of energy came down smoothly. He braced himself for the blow but it never came. Suddenly, she flew sideways and slammed onto the hard windowpane. He heard battle cries and screaming outside the viewing platform.

"Don't do this kid." A dark old man stood at the door with his hand held out.

_No, it can't be…he's dead!_

"Jolee…I thought I killed you, you irritating old man!" She picked herself up; wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand and threw a bolt of lightning at the old man. " I saw you DIE!" Her beautiful face twisted with fury as she screamed at him.

Jolee dodged just in time and grabbed hold of the stunned pilot. "Run! Idiot! It's not time for you to die!" He pulled the pilot along with him, running out of the viewing platform, dodging another blast of Force Lightning. Jedi were everywhere, and fighting other Dark Jedi.

"Taxon! I got the kid! The others are safe. Let's move. Now!"

One Jedi nodded and slashed at his enemy. Clashes of blades and the buzzing of the sabres rang in the air.

"BASTILA! Kill them!" The Dark Lord's roar echoed through the halls. She was coming ever closer to them, killing Jedi and soldiers in her way. All of a sudden, the pilot felt an excruciating pain on his back. She had hit him square on the back with lightning.

Jolee swirled around and tried to Force Push her, but she was too fast for him. A blur of black sped past him and he felt something cutting through his upper thigh. Ignoring the pain, he summoned the Force and pushed at her again. This time, he was successful. Revan flew backwards and slammed onto the wall.

A couple of Jedi pulled the struggling pilot into a small ship. Jolee parried another onslaught, and kicked his opponent on the shins. The Dark Lord yelped and leapt backwards.

"Oh, you play dirty old man. Real dirty." She snarled and another jet of lightning shot out from her fingers and it hit him. He screamed in pain and the Dark Lord laughed mercilessly.

"No one lives when I say they are to die!"

A Jedi Master ran down the ramp and used Force Push on her. Pulling a severely burnt Jolee with him, they jumped onto the closing ramp before the dark apprentice arrived to aid her master.

The pilot slumped onto the floor and leaned his head to the ship's wall. He fought back the tears and he tried to steady his trembling hands. Other rescued prisoners and Jedi looked at him with sympathy. They didn't know of his love for her. They didn't know that his heart was broken. All they knew was what they thought it to be, a man weeping over a loss of his friend.

Only the wish to vanish from the face of the galaxy was in his mind.

Jolee limped towards him, denying any med packs that the others gave him. He pulled the pilot up and led him to an empty room. The door closed behind him and he watched the younger man sit on one of the chairs.

"Why save me?" His voice was coarse and bitter.

The old man sat down beside him and snorted. "You think by dying everything will be forgotten and be back to normal? It's not your time yet, boy. This time it didn't work out, but you've still got another chance. You're her only hope of returning… she needs you. You've got to live." 

"She needs me? She tried to kill me!"

"When I'm telling you she needs you I mean she needs you! Don't think otherwise. She's corrupted, that's why she tried to kill you." Jolee sighed. "It won't be easy trying to help her, and it sure is going to take a long time. But you've got to be stronger now, lad. Everyone has a chance to turn back."

The younger man nodded his head.

"How did you survive? I thought you were dead too." The pilot looked at the old man.

"Humph! I don't die easily…" He shot him a strange look. "It's not time to die yet."

_It's not time to die yet…

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_

"It's not time to die yet…She needs me…" He whispered unconsciously. He lowered his eyes onto the floor.

"You're such a thinker, young man. Can't you do anything else?"

The admiral smiled at the gruff voice. "It's one of the only things that's keeping me alive, Jolee." The admiral paused for a moment. "You know. You still haven't told me how you survived the attack on the temple summit."

"Ahh…Won't you give up? How many times do I have to tell you that it just wasn't the time to die? It's like ' ooh, lets play with the old man's temper and see if he'll explode'!" Jolee chided.

A young woman about the age of 20 wearing the Republic uniform came up to them and saluted. She turned to the younger man. "Admiral Onasi, sir. The search party sent to Le'Enlo has returned."

Carth sensed hesitation in her voice. "Is there something wrong, ensign?"

"They, uh, found a boy amidst the wreckages and rubble. He was very aggressive and attacked some of the scouts. He, ah, how should I put this, pushed three grown men ten feet away from him without using his hands or any part of his body."

Jolee looked at Carth inquiringly. Carth shrugged and said to the ensign. "Take us to this boy. I have to see this for myself."

The ensign saluted him. "This way, Sir!"

_It's going to be another long day…_

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Anyone who is interested in giving opinions or betaing this fic can message me at my Bioware account under the same user name as my pen name. Thanks for reading!

ps: For some bloody unknown reason, I couldn't upload this fic...until now....Grr...


	2. Unintended Meeting

**Author's notes**: Well, for those who are extremely curious. Yes, I am still alive, or half alive in this matter. I apologise to those who had been waiting for an update on this, and for my other LS!Revan fic. College has not been kind to me…or should I say. It is HELL! Haven't had any decent sleep for the past...God knows how many weeks. Annnd, thanks to Kosiah and VMorticia for the beta. God bless them, or Force bless them in this case.

So, since now all of you know that I'm still alive and well, onto my short ramblings and then to the story. : D

**Warnings:** This chapter depicts the certain level of Revan's evilness and there will be some disturbing scenes. Things will get darker from here...I think /Insert maniacal laughter/. /Ahem/Regains posture/ Those who are easily offended by macabre situations or just easily offended, please stop reading from this line onwards.

You have been forewarned.

The rating for this might change for the level of violence and yadda yadda yadda. But truthfully, kids are watching things far more gruesome than those depicted in fan fiction nowadays. LoTR is one example… /mumbles about flying decapitated heads/…Final Destination 2/Mumbles again about pipes and heads/ And…I tried changing the rating, but it seems that R rated fics don't show up anywhere. They even deleted me out of the C2 community… /cry/

Oh, yeah…anyone who is reading this chapter. Tell me what you think about this one, please? Then I'll know how dark I can go… heh heh… And the replies to the reviews are down below.

Okay, end of rambling.

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** Chapter 2: Unintended Meeting**

He saw red rain falling from the sky, destroying everything it touched. Flashes of red marred his vision as he lifted his arm to shield his face.

Red rain?

Screams echoed in his head; and he looked around. People were running in all directions. Blood splattered the floors, walls and rubble. Broken bodies were littered everywhere. Severed limbs here and there. The gory sight could make the faint-hearted die of shock. Where is she? Tiptoeing, he tried to look for her.

He ran, stooping and searching. "Mion! Where are you?" His voice was barely audible over the loud crashing and bombings. The young man stood in the middle of the running crowd. His head turning left and right. Anxiety poked at him, mingling with palpable fear.

I need to find her_. "Mion!"_

_The shooting stopped. But the people still ran, pushing him backwards, bruising him as they rammed into him. Their screams pounded at his eardrums but he ignored them. He couldn't give up. "Mion!" He searched frantically and screamed her name with all his might. "Mion!"_

_Then she was standing there right in front of him. Fear in her eyes. She was looking too, looking for him. "Mion! Here!" He waved his arms to her and pushed through the crowd, trying to get to her. Then he saw her eyes widen with pain._

_She fell facedown. A troop of men wearing silver battle armour marched through the crumbling street. Beams of light shot out from their blasters, killing and wounding anyone the beams hit. He stood there paralysed. His fear, sadness and shock turned into a great ball of anger. He felt something working through him and around him. Something that made him suddenly oblivious to his own safety. He _roared_ and a rapid wave pushed everything away._

_The Sith troopers never knew what hit them. But he was buried there too, and he cried over the lost of the person he loved. He crawled through vacant spaces between the rubble to her body._

"_Mion…" He choked on the name. "MION!" The tears began to fill his eyes._

"_MION!"_

"Hey! Hey! It's okay. Wake up!" Someone shook him hard and he could almost feel his brain rattle around in his head. The young man felt sick to his guts and tried hard not to throw up.

Another voice asked with concern. " Is the kid fine?"

"I think he's having another nightmare." He opened his eyes and saw a man standing over him with a look of concern on his stubbly face. He noticed the dark blue uniform and the shining medals pinned to the man's chest.

The man spoke. " Good. You're awake. That must've been one heck of a nightmare."

"His vitals are fine, sir." The voice that had woken him came from his left. He turned his head and saw a young woman with blonde hair by his bedside, studying the screen. A frown appeared on his face as he took in his surroundings. _This is… a hospital? It doesn't look like it._

"Boy. Can you understand me?" He turned to nod at the man. Straining himself, he sat up, despite the nurse's attempts to make him lie back down.

"Who are you? Where am I?" He croaked through his aching throat. The man gave him a small smile.

"I'm Admiral Carth Onasi. You're on my ship, the _Odyssey_. You were brought here three days ago, in somewhat bad form." Then he added. "May I know your name?"

The young man looked questioningly at the Admiral. _Should I trust him? Is he good? I've dealt with too many liars… but his uniform… this is his ship… _

A gruff voice came from the door, starling him. He almost jumped out of his skin.

"The kid's awake?" An old man walked through._ There's something about him._ Admiral Onasi nodded at him. The old man smiled and came over to the bed.

"Just asking his name." Admiral Onasi turned to look at him again raising an eyebrow enquiringly at him. Somehow the young man fought the reluctance to trust him and decided to answer.

"Jax…Jax D'Kae."

"This is Master Jolee Bindo, a member of the Jedi High Council. We've got some questions to ask Jax. May we?" The Admiral's voice was full of anticipation. Jax nodded his head. He had the sudden urge to leap out of bed and run to the nearest airlock and jump out of it. But then again, he thought, that would be a very, very bad idea.

Master Jolee cleared his throat and frowned. He placed his hands behind his back and stepped to the end of the bed, facing the young man. "Do you remember what happened before you passed out, sonny?"

Memories swam in Jax's head. "Some…someone was moving the debris. Three men were standing in front of me. Then… then…" _Why can't I remember what happened after that? _Jax shook his head, trying to recall what happened. Instead of remembering anything, all he got was a massive headache.

"Then the three men suddenly flew away from you." Admiral Onasi finished his sentence for him with a slight frown. The boy nodded.

"I felt something. I don't know how to explain it but I felt something surrounding me, then the men went flying." The confusion attacked him again. And the headache wasn't helping. He lifted a weak hand and gave his head a small whack.

"See, told you he was _sensitive_. But _no_, you didn't want to believe in the old man. The old man's senile, half of the time he thinks there's a bunch of gizkas plotting to exterminate him." Master Jolee crossed his arms across his chest and looked at Admiral Onasi with an 'I was right' expression.

The Admiral rolled his eyes. "So? I just wasn't sure. What are you going to do to him?"

Jax looked at the two men with sheer perplexity._ They are mad. What are they talking about? What am I sensitive to? What's that old man going to do to me?_

Jolee shook his head.

"What…" Jax was trying to ask when Jolee interrupted him.

"Nothing, boy. The old tongue's wagging by itself. Now get some rest." Jolee motioned to Carth and they both left the medical wing. The blonde nurse was told to take care of the boy.

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Carth

Out on the corridor, Carth asked Jolee in a hushed voice. "Why won't you tell him he's Force Sensitive?" The old man gave him an amused look.

"The poor boy is already confused enough, having his home world all blown up and seeing his loved one die in front of him." Jolee ignored the confused look on Carth's face. "You heard him yelling the name in his sleep. It has to be someone close. It's no use telling him what he is now. And I've got a lot of discussing to do with the Council. It seems that after Vandar's death none of those damn old coots can do anything."

"Where's the rest of the Council?"

"Ah, boy. You know I can't tell you that. Nowhere is safe to tell anyone where they are now. The walls have ears. Revan's hunting down every single Jedi Master that was involved with her mind block. She got three of them and they were tortured and killed,--well make that mutilated. There're only five of them alive now. Force knows how she knew it was them."

Jolee shook his head sadly as he and Carth walked down the corridor towards the bridge. A few Republic soldiers walked past them and greeted them while they walked in silence. When they reached the bridge, a short man bumped into Carth.

"Curses! Oh, Admiral, it's you," the balding man muttered at Carth. His beady eyes glared at Carth. Two pudgy hands twisted behind his back—a sign of extreme nervousness, for the little man.

"Good evening, Senator." Carth greeted the man with a hint of irritation in his voice. _What's this thing doing here? _"What brings you to the bridge at this hour?" Jolee grinned.

"Oh, nothing. I was just walking past." Carth sensed the lies behind his words. He was here for something. Carth tried his hardest not to glare back. The senator was a terrible liar, no matter how hard he tried.

Suddenly, the door to the bridge opened suddenly and a young man with auburn hair exactly like Carth's stumbled out of the bridge. He almost ran into Jolee.

"Dustil! Careful!" Getting a firm hold on his son, Carth looked at the young man with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Father!" He stopped short when he spotted the Senator. "Oh, good evening, Senator Agir." Then he turned towards Jolee and bowed before straightening his own robes. "Master." Jolee eyed the boy with a frown.

"What's the big hurry, boy?"

"Oh, yeah, about that. Three Republic battleships took off from the Republic space station T24-D9 without any official clearance. Intelligence has been trying to locate them for the past five hours but they seemed to have turned off their locaters. Admiral Balsan called to ask for your help, Father."

Carth frowned at the news and thought for a moment. "What are their registration codes?"

"C-49, HG-87, and FR-67."

The Admiral turned swiftly towards Agir and eyed him with suspicion. "Senator, isn't your son in charge of the ship C-49 alongside Admiral Gail?"

Agir shifted uneasily in his own boots. "Why, yes, Admiral. Why?" Carth sensed something was off, and his instincts kicked in. He gave the Senator a piercing stare. However, before he could ask him questions again, he was interrupted.

"Admiral! A ship is approaching the _Odyssey_. We have demanded for their identification but there was no reply. What should we do, sir?" An officer ran from the bridge towards Carth.

Carth walked into the bridge and saw the ship for himself. "Isn't that C-49?" he heard Dustil ask. The Admiral realised something and turned to the senator. His face was grim and his jaw set in a firm line.

"You were the one who gave them permission to leave the space station, weren't you?"

"We can't just stand here and watch Lord Revan take over world after world, can we? I've told the Senate that we had to take action soon or the whole Republic will just crumble. Giving them permission was the only way to get a fleet to stop Revan." Agir rambled on as he tried to emphasise his words. He didn't even try to shirk away from the question or deny the truth. Carth gave him an incredulous look.

"The Senate had stressed on this matter many times, Agir. Grand Senator Blomak gave orders saying that no one is to attack Revan_ until _a plan has been made." Carth's voice became louder with each word as he tried to control his temper. Agir was a Senator with an infamous reputation for making his own decisions--unintelligent decisions. The Senate had been considering giving Agir the boot for a very long time, and now it seemed that he had sealed his own fate.

"I see it fit,_ Admiral. _All of us could be dead by the time the Fleet comes up with a plan." Agir glared at Carth for daring to mention the Senate. The officers in the bridge stopped their work and turned their heads to look at the heated argument. Jolee pulled Dustil out of the 'war zone'.

"Attacking Revan is not as simple as sending a fleet after her. She is far more intelligent than you think, Senator. If she was obtuse she wouldn't be the Sith Lord." _How the hell did such an idiot become a Senator? Perhaps the idea of shoving him into the trash compactor wouldn't be that bad anymore._

Agir's voice grew louder and his face turned a brilliant shade of red. He shook his pudgy finger at the window and commanded Carth to look out of it. C-49 loomed in the distance. "My son's ship is here and it looks well to me. Isn't that enough to tell you that he has won the battle?"

Carth shook his head at the Senator again. "I wouldn't be too sure, Senator. If your son had won the battle then why didn't he reply to our hail and confirm his ship's identification? He knows that it's reckless to not identify yourself to another battleship. And if Revan was defeated, then why no news?"

Dustil's eyes widened. "Father, you don't mean…"

"She's on that ship, boy." Jolee confirmed. The old man looked grim and serious. It was as if something was poking at him. The dark colour on his face turned slightly pale. Darkness from the ship made him feel awfully uncomfortable, and Dustil looked like he had felt the presence of the Dark Lord too. "I can feel her from here."

Agir's beady eyes widened. "My son! He's on that ship! Why are you standing here? Save him!" His hands waved wildly before him. His angry demeanour dissipated within a spilt second and a look of a coward emerged on his face.

"Revan will not attack, and we can't save your son now. It might be too late."

"How dare you imply that my son is dead! How do you even know that she will not attack at any given time? You call yourself a Republic hero? Save my son and prove it to me!" Agir's eyes almost bulged out of his head as he grabbed hold onto Carth's collar. His small hands gripped tightly onto the taller man and purple veins began to pop up. Carth stood there firm and expressionless. He looked down at the shorter man.

"I never called myself a Republic hero, nor do I think of myself as one. As for Revan, if she wanted to kill us, you wouldn't still be standing here shouting at me. Your son is out there because you gave him permission to be. So don't blame anyone else."

Agir looked like he would have loved to strangle Carth on the spot, but the Admiral was in charge and he was forced to acknowledge it. An officer standing by one of the consoles announced, "Incoming call, sir, from the C-49."

Everyone in the room stiffened. Carth scratched the side of his nose for a moment before he spoke. "Accept the call."

"Are you sure, Father?" Dustil eyed his father with trepidation. Jolee remained silent. Another ship joined the C-49. The holoprojector in the middle of the room flickered to life before Carth could reply.

There she stood, completely covered in black and a pearl grey mask with intricate white designs. She paid no attention to anyone except Carth. Her voice came out metallic and low; malice poured like water from an overturned bottle. Those who were in the bridge felt the tension between the two pulsate. Dustil noticed that his father's hands were clenched into fists behind his back, and the skin on his knuckles was stretched white.

"It's a wonder that you're still alive,_ Admiral_ Onasi." She stressed on his title. There was but a small hint of irritation and amusement in her emotionless voice. She shifted her arms from her back and crossed them in front of her. "Every single time my fleet goes against yours I hope that you'll perish. But now I see that you are tougher than a terentatek's hide."

"What can I say? I'm born that way." Carth replied with the same venom as hers. "What do you want, Revan?"

Revan chuckled. "Impatient, are we? Nothing much, I just wanted to drop in say a little hello. It isn't a crime, is it?" She turned towards the dark-skinned old man. "_Master _Jolee Bindo. What a surprise… you're still alive. And I thought that the wounds that I gave you in our last battle would've finished you off."

"It takes more than a couple of Force Lightnings to kill me, lass." Jolee kept his calm. Revan gave a cold chuckle.

"I suppose that is true…" She spoke lazily. Her hands clenched behind her back and she tilted her head.

Agir could not hold his silence any longer. "Where's my son? You Sith fiend!"

The Sith Lord turned to look at the chubby little man. Carth heard her sneer, even through the mask. "Surely, you can think of a better insult than that, can't you, Senator Agir?" A cold chuckled followed. "Oh yes, you have to keep everything down, or they'll kick you out of the Senate. Now I remember." She turned to her right and gestured to someone.

"Where's your son? You asked. He's a smart man, Senator. He understands the key to survival, power, and to glory." A young man appeared, clad in a Sith uniform. He bowed to Revan and stood straight beside her.

"Hello, Father." Agir's face turned purple. The young man smiled and stepped forward.

"Feon!" Agir stumbled and Dustil grabbed him before he fell. "Son! What are you doing in that uniform? What are you doing with her?"

"Why would I not be in this uniform, Father?" Feon gestured at his attire in a proud way. "I am a Sith, it is only normal to wear this." Agir glared the woman his son was standing next to.

"You Sith whore! You have brainwashed my son!"

"I chose to serve the Lord, Father. She didn't force me to do it."

"You! You…"

"What did you do to Admiral Gail?" Carth interrupted, looking at the cloaked woman. She tilted her head and seemed to gaze at him, even through the mask. It seemed that she was studying reaction, and it took her a moment to answer his question.

"What made you think I killed him, Onasi?" Revan drawled.

"What did I say to make you think that I said you killed him?" Carth cocked an eyebrow at her. Revan lifted her head and chuckled again. She seemed amused by his questions and his audacity to challenge her.

"I didn't kill anyone in this attack, I merely walked into this ship. He did it, rather admirably, I must say." She pointed her thumb at the man beside her. Feon smiled wickedly again and his father's nose flared.

"Feon! You, you…"

"Traitorous, hopeless imbecile of a son? I remember those word by heart, Father. Those were the words you said to me when I refused your order to attack Lord Revan. I shot the man in the back when he was happily shouting out orders to attack the Lord's ship." The young man smirked at his father. "You should've seen his face as he tried to figure out what happened. He never did."

"I taught you to be an honourable man! And yet you are serving that harlot like a lap dog. Get back here at once!" Agir was obviously going to faint from anger. His hand was trembling in front of him as he pointed at the young man.

"ENOUGH with the name calling!" Revan's metallic voice roared and startled those around her holographic image. Agir took a step backward and visibly gulped. Carth remained calm and unsurprised with her outburst. "I will not tolerate you, Agir. Continue, Admiral."

Feon bowed slightly and looked at his father with palpable hatred. "You taught me how to manipulate others to gain power within the fleet. I'm always useless to you, am I, Father? Everything I do is always wrong and you're always right. I never liked being in the military, but you forced me to join it. But I think I should thank you now, Father, since Lord Revan has seen my abilities and has given me the title of Admiral of her Fleet--a position that the Republic had denied me. At least she sees my potential."

"You…you…" Agir clasped a hand to his heart and a few other officers rushed towards him. Feon smirked and Revan was obviously delighted. The woman snaked a hand onto the young man's nape and gave him a small squeeze; Carth narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't worry, Agir, I'll take care of your son _very_ well." The glee in her voice dripped like blood from an open wound. She took her hand away waved Feon away; he bowed and left. Revan stepped closer to the holoprojector and he could almost feel her.

"I'll see you again in our next battle,_ Admiral_. It will be a _heart-warming_ reunion." She released a cold chuckle and stopped when she remembered something. "Oh yes, thank you for the presents, Senator. They aren't much, but I'm sure that after much modification these ships will be invincible." Her cold chuckle returned. "And as a return gift, look outside." She snapped her fingers and turned to face the _Odysseys_' bridge window.

The airlocks on the C-49 and the other ship were opened. Many gasped in horror when they saw what streamed out of the hole—bodies of fallen Republic soldiers. Bastila's laughter could be heard through the speakers. Revan merely chuckled with her apprentice and gave a venomous warning. "Never underestimate me, Agir, or face the consequences. Your Republic and the Admiral here should've already warned you on this matter. Enjoy your gift."

The holoprojector flickered once more and Revan disappeared from their sight. Agir looked at the bodies and fainted; some young soldiers in the same room gagged and vomited at the gory sight. Some of the bodies streamed nearer and nearer to the_ Odyssey_. The masses of silent dead gave a terrible impression of how gruesome the battle was.

Carth closed his eyes and felt surprised at his calm._ What kind of a monster have you turned into, Revan? Where's the woman I once knew?_ A sigh escaped him and the feeling of guilt welled up.

"Sir?" A pale-looking ensign stood uncertainly before his superior. The ensign's eyes strayed to the bodies floating outside and his face turned even paler, if such a thing was possible. Carth rubbed the bridge of his nose and gave out his orders.

"Retrieve all the bodies. We'll give them a proper burial and honour them." The ensign saluted and ran out of the bridge. Carth turned to Jolee, who was kneeling beside the senator. The old man looked at him and shook his head.

"She's gone mad, that woman." He stood up and watched the Senator being carried away to the medical wing. The old man and the Admiral looked out of the window and watched the C-49 disappear into the embrace of the darkness of space.

Carth stared unblinkingly into space. "Are you sure that she can be saved, Jolee?" His eyes followed a floating body outside of the _Odyssey._ Faith seeped away from him. "No human can create such a massacre."

"You're supposed to have faith in her, Carth. No one is completely void of compassion. Anyone in her circumstances can still be saved."

The younger man closed his eyes and nodded his head. "We should go back to Coruscant. The Senate will want to know the full details of what happened."

* * *

Revan

The interior of the C-49 hummed monotonously while Revan marched her way through the corridors. Bastila followed behind her with a few other Dark Jedi. Utility droids beeped and whirled past them, carrying buckets of foul smelling red coloured water—remnants of the blood that had been washed from the walls.

Revan never slowed her pace as she headed towards the landing platform. As she walked through the doors two Sith saluted her; a uniformed male Twi'lek walked up to her and bowed. Revan waved her hand impatiently at him and beckoned to him to follow.

(How is he?) She spoke in Twi'leki. The Twi'lek shook his head in mock sadness. Revan paid no attention to his act. She had no time to deal with minor minions and certainly didn't want to waste her breath on him.

(Weak, but improving. The doctors are adamant about keeping him in the tank.)

Revan nodded gave out some orders before walking into her own private vessel. The small ship transported her to a gargantuan dark structure -- The Star Forge. The Twi'lek followed meekly behind her as she strode down the ramp. Several Sith officers on the landing bay cowered in fear when they saw their lord. Bastila eyed them with disdain.

The Dark Lord marched her way through the decks, never breaking the rhythm of her pace. The black walls gleamed a dark welcome. Revan turned, and walked into a medical bay. The room was dark, save for some blinking consoles.

She walked up to a glowing tank, and peered into it. She lifted a gauntleted hand and touched the glass surface. The man suspended inside the tank stared unblinkingly at her. His red bionic eye flashed to show that he had acknowledged her presence.

"Report." Her voice was low.

A doctor grabbed a datapad and hurried to her side. "All primary functions are normal, my Lord. Seventy percent of his internal injuries have healed. His healing unit is speeding up his recovery and we replaced his liver with an artificial one two days ago, he seems to be adjusted well."

She nodded once and continued to look at the man in the tank. Revan raised a hand, and gestured to the others to leave her alone. Only Bastila stayed behind, standing back at a respectful distance.

Revan's eyes followed the tubes and wires connected to the man's body. Her finger traced the tube that connected itself to his neck. His face was as white as a sheet of paper and the bionic eye glowed red in the darkness.

(I have good news for you.) The man finally blinked. She moved her hand next to his face. (We caught him.) He blinked again. Revan smiled but her masked face showed nothing.

(When you're out of this thing, you'll be able to redeem your honour.)

The man seemed to smirk despite his injuries. Revan chuckled lowly and turned to leave. (I expect you to be healthy in one month. I'm growing tired of your men killing your replacements.) Another cold chuckle followed.

Canderous's bionic eye flashed again, this time with a hint of humour.

* * *

/Thanks again to VMorticia and Kosiah for making my fic more readable.

**Blackpoolbird**: Glad you liked it and welcome. Thanks for the review. I'm sorry that I had to delete your review because I needed to get this fic on the net. "Continuation" is gonna take some time for me to upload it.

**Prisoner 24601**: Hmm…I'm not surprised that the web swallowed it up. I spent three, four days (?) trying to get it up on the web. Thanks for the praises, I'm now blushing like a typical schoolgirl. /Groans/. I'm glad that you think that the confrontation was good. I thought that it'd be too out of character for Carth to join her too since he's the Republic lover. About Jolee, keep wondering…:evillol: You shall know the truth when time passes… muahahaha!

**Nima Onasi**: Thanks! And welcome! I hope you'll like this chapter, and the answer to your wild guess is shown here. **:-)** Like what I wrote on my bio, I'm sadistic. :evillol: again./ I don't believe in happy endings… -- pessimist

**Alice the Raven**: Thanks! Here's the new chapter!

**Kosiah**: Glad you liked it and thanks. Revan's evilness in chapter one is nothing. You've read this one, and wait for the future ones! Muahahahaha!

**Ether-fanfic**: Heh heh…glad you liked it. The boy? Hmm…I'll let you find out in this chapter. **: p** Yeah, I know. When I played DS one of the saddest things was killing Jolee. I love that old man and his sarcasm. /Holds up a big sign that says "Welcome Back, Jolee!"/

**Arrow: **Hmm…that I have to agree to. There are just so few of them out there…

**Annakie:** Heh, thanks. Actually, I had a lot of help from my betas, and they cleaned it up quite a bit. The unedited piece was…messy…and…had lots of weird stuff that I wrote due to my lack of attention and my so-so grammar and command of English. **:p**

**Red Mage Neko: **/Dances along with Red/ Mission/Shifty eyes/ Heh heh…I'm not promising anything here. : D


	3. The Wounds of Guilt

**Author's note:** Well, I'm still alive, that's for sure. College's been very, very hectic. But amidst all that amount of assignment which now takes up a corner of my room, I've successfully entered my third semester! Wheee/Ahem/ Back to the fic. This chapter is a little bit more serious. And…Dustil may seem a little off to you. But that's my own version of Dustil. Who knows? Things might change. Anyways. I'll spare you of my boring rants and let you go on reading. Enjoy.

BTW, thanks to all who reviewed. Don't know if we're still allowed to answer reviews in the post anymore.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Wounds of Guilt**Carth 

_The sun shone brightly on the beach where he stood waiting for her. Anxiety invaded him; making him feel queasy and his sweat trickled down his forehead onto his neck. Something wasn't right. It seemed that some darkness lurked in behind the sunny and cheerful atmosphere on the beach. The waves never sounded so irritating to him._

_She appeared out of nowhere; wearing her usual Jedi robes as she sauntered towards him. The smile on her face was soft and endearing. Gentle, soft and kind. That was she. She was the perfect Jedi. He smiled at her in return. But the bad feeling he had grew stronger and started throbbing at his temples._

"_Hey there, beautiful." He walked forward to her and held her hands in his. The smooth skin felt comforting, and a calloused thumb traced a small scar on the back of her hand. Her smile was brighter than the sun._

_Suddenly her expression changed, and he saw the anguish he once saw etched on her face. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed in front of him; mumbling incoherently to herself. She then crumpled on to the ground, and let out a piercing scream._

_The scene changed suddenly, and he found himself standing on the Prodigious' viewing platform once more. Revan got up from the floor, and her Jedi robes transformed to the dark robes she wore on that day. Her anger replaced her sorrow as she ignited her lightsabre. _

"_I thought you loved me, Carth, but I see it now, it was just a lie, like everything else."_

Carth jolted up on his bed and he struggled for a while to regain the rhythm of his breathing. Sucking in painful gasps of air, a hand went up to his face and wiped away the sweat that had formed on his forehead. He then noticed that the sheet under him was soaked through with his perspiration and a groan came from him. 

He laid back onto his bed with an arm over his head. The dream played over and over in his mind until he had to squeeze his eyes tightly in a vain attempt to push it away.

_I failed you, Revan. I was all my fault…_

The delicate fingers of the morning sun sneaked into his room. Carth laid here, looking at them; a bell rang and broke his train of thoughts. He got off his bed and grabbed a shirt before going into the lounge. He stopped short when he saw a man sitting on a couch.

"Jolee! How did you get in here?"

The old man raised an eyebrow at him and replied, "Through the doors, how else? You young people are so damn slow to open doors." Jolee noted the haunted look on his face and a frowned was etched on his forehead. "You look like crap, sonny. Bad night?"

Carth nodded and sat on the couch opposite the old man. He leaned back, and ran his hand through his hair. "Her again, hmmm?" Jolee took the liberty to point out Carth's dreams and the younger man narrowed his eyes at him with a frown.

"It's not your fault, son," he said when Carth remained silent. Carth looked away from him and scratched the armrest of the couch. The expression of guilt haunted his features and Jolee couldn't help but pity the once happy man before him. _Damn it, the kid's in the exact same situation as I was in over twenty years ago. Damn all these guilt trips, he's a shell of his former self._

"It_ was_ my fault, old man. If I hadn't…argh…I don't want to talk about this." Carth shook his head in frustration. To Jolee, he looked spent. Two years of fighting and surviving the war—the one that he waged in himself, not the war that he was having with Revan—had changed him.

Carth Onasi, Admiral of the Republic Fleet, hero in the Mandalorian wars, famed survivor of the Ebon Hawk crew, was a broken man deep inside. More broken than he ever was from the first time he had laid eyes on the former and returned Sith Lord.

Jolee reached out for the man and patted his knee. _Sympathy isn't allowed, he needs to learn to remain strong, as hard as it is._ "It was understandable, Carth… It's not your fault."

"I said I don't want to talk about it." Carth growled at the old man.

The old Jedi frowned at him, stood up and straightened his robes before speaking, "You don't have to snap at me, lad. Get ready now, we've got a meeting to get to."

* * *

**Time: One Week After the C-49 Incident**

**Location: Republic Senate**

"I truly cannot believe in that man's density and audacity. How could a full-grown man like him do what he did? Had he not heard what Supreme Chancellor Blomak had said?" A Kel Dor male banged his fist onto the metallic surface of his escritoire on the platform. Others murmured at his words.

A man with greying hair at his temples pinched the bridge between his eyes and kept that position for some time. Carth noticed that the Supreme Chancellor looked older and that dark circles had formed under his eyes. His eyes shifted to where the Jedi Council sat. Four of those who were in hiding had appeared and more than two dozen of Jedi Knights and Padawans stood behind the seven masters, one of the masters included Jolee. The Jedi had taken up three of the platforms for the meeting.

Since Revan's fall, the number of Jedi had begun to diminish significantly. Some were killed, some tempted by the lure of the Dark Side, some hid, not wanting to involve themselves in the conflict between the two types of Force users. It was considered a surprise at the number of Jedi who turned up for this meeting.

Carth watched Jolee from his very own platform shared with his advisor and several of his top officers. The old man looked tired, and the creases on his forehead were more evident than they used to be.

Revan's return was the reason for all the calamity and worries.

"What happened to him after the C-49 incident?" one senator asked.

"He's currently being treated in the hospital for severe heart attack. According to the medical droids, it seems that his condition is worsening," another offered. Some shook their head either in disgust or in satisfaction at the man's misfortune.

Supreme Chancellor Blomak finally spoke, when all thought that the man had fallen asleep on his escritoire. "It is no use fretting over what he did, Senator Bel. What has happened has happened, even if we did not want it to."

"Then what do you propose we do, Chancellor? We have lost twelve of our ships when we cannot afford to lose more. Another fifteen had been destroyed in the sector Y98 battle and seven more are still in repair. The grand total is thirty-four." A Zabrak female looked at Blomak inquiringly. "Revan's ships are increasing rapidly and it's extremely hard for our soldiers to fight back in this situation."

Carth shook his head at the number of ships downed within that one month. Indeed, Revan's fleet increased with the help of the Star Forge, and because the Republic couldn't risk losing their entire fleet, they hadn't made a move on attacking the gargantuan space station.

"There's nothing we can do now except to fight back when her fleet attacks. Our fleet is weak from the lack of ships and," Blomak paused for a moment before continuing. "And there are many who have gone to join Revan to her cause. Thirteen outer-rim planets have already sworn their allegiance to the Dark Lord." Blomak paused for a moment again. "I fear that the Republic might fall, if we do not breach her fleet in time." The entire room suddenly became extremely silent.

"Have the tacticians been able to concoct a plan to bring an end to the madness, Chancellor? We do not have time." A platform hovered near the Chancellor's. Senator Grant had his lips pursed and his eyes narrowed slightly. Carth shook his head at the Falleen.

**No more arguments, come on, no more arguments.**

"Our tacticians _have_ been breaking their necks over the past two years to find a way to fight back effectively. However, none of their plans have succeeded yet. Revan is a superior tactician herself, and the people she has acquired in her own fleet in this field are not amateurs. Some of them were once top students in the Republic Academy." Despite the angry murmurs that echoed in the hall, Blomak continued.

"What do you predict for Revan's next move, Admiral Onasi? Do we know when it will be?"

Carth straightened his back and looked at his officers. After a moment of silent contemplation, he declared, "Revan will not be doing anything, for the time being, if my intuition is correct. The majority of her army has just finished numerous battles and even with the Star Forge, her fleet needs time to recover." The constant frown on his forehead grew deeper. "As for when her next attack will be, I don't know."

"How can you be so sure, Admiral?" The Falleen senator raised an eyebrow at Carth's statement.

The man shook his head lightly. "I said it was an intuition. But under these circumstances, no one would be stupid enough to launch another attack when their fleet is weak. We can't attack her either, seeing our disadvantages at the moment. And though as bloodthirsty as Revan may be, she isn't as impatient as Malak was. Her every move is very calculated and I'm certain that, as we speak, she's thinking of another attack, planning it, preparing for it. When and where, I don't know."

"I think it is harmless to believe the Admiral, Senator. He has been correct numerous times regarding Revan's actions," Jolee said pointedly at the Falleen, and earned himself a rather venomous glare from Carth.

Chancellor Blomak looked at the Master and nodded his head. "I suppose what you speak of is true, Master Bindo. If it had not been for the Admiral's ability to understand her next moves, our fleet would have crumbled a long time ago. But the pace that Revan is going worries me still. This…Star Forge, is certainly to our great disadvantage. And Bastila's Battle Meditation is not helping us at all."

"Her attacks and tactics are almost flawless. Our own tacticians could barely counter her attacks in the Y98 battle. And they were the best the academy had to offer. What is leading to her supremacy in this aspect?" A Twi'lek stated his question to the senate.

One Jedi Master answered, "She is known to be a superior strategist and tactician herself, Senator, this has already been mentioned today. Of all the years she was in the Order, she was one of the most brilliant students we have ever seen for decades. She-"

"She is still only human, a living thing like every one of us in this room. No matter how superior she is in this line she will still make mistakes. Your inability to see her flaws proves to be the reason why she fell and why the Republic is facing extreme losses from her attacks!" A human senator stood up and banged his fist on the escritoire, his face turning a shade of red. He was definitely one who did not approve of the Jedi. "If you had not-"

Chancellor Blomak slapped his hand on the metal surface. The loud sound echoed in the room and startled several. "That is enough, Senator Klar-kon. This is not the time to blame anyone. The Republic has their own wrongs in this matter too."

Carth looked at the old man quizzically. _The Republic has their own wrongs? What does he mean by that? _He was about to shoot a curious glance at Jolee when the old man stood up and gave him a brief frown as an indication of 'No, ask me and you're in for a long lecture' before turning to Senator Klar.

"The Council will take full responsibility for what happened to Revan. What we only ask for now is the chance to aid you in this war. You can't stand against her alone without the Jedi's help."

Senator Klar was obviously going to make a comment again but stopped when he saw the look on Chancellor Blomak's face. He looked even more tired as the meeting continued. "We accept the Council's offer to help, Master Bindo. And I hope that this alliance will be fruitful."

The doors opened and a droid floated in. It handed a datapad to Blomak and the man read it. The frown on his face grew and he stood up.

"I think this meeting will end here today, ladies and gentlemen. There is a call I must accept."

Carth watched the Chancellor's platform descend to the bottom and he noticed that Jolee was doing the same. The two men exchanged questing glances before looking at the platform again.

* * *

Revan 

The darkness in her room was incomparable to the darkness that emitted from her. She stood next to the window, and looked at the passing stars. Her mask and cloak lay on her bed as the machine next to it hummed its tune. Bastila walked in and frowned at the mess in the room.

"Should I ask for the cleaning droids, Revan?"

The woman remained silent and chose to ignore her apprentice.

_Damn your arrogance, Revan. _She could not see her face in the dark; she never did after Carth and Jolee's escape from the _Prodigious_. Bastila feared to look into her master's face. Hers had turned a sickly pale colour with dark veins visible and she was sure that Revan's would be no better than hers.

"Master?" The word came out hard and forced. Revan turned, but she still couldn't see her face. _Thank the Force. _The Sith Lord walked to the couch-like machine and sat on it. Bastila heard the sickening hisses of wires attaching themselves onto Revan and winced slightly at the disturbing image that popped up in her head.

"I don't need those droids, apprentice." Her voice was low, as usual. "Prepare the Ebon Hawk for take off in the morning. We're heading for Korriban."

"May I know why, Master?" Bastila dared the question.

Revan resumed to her silence before answering her. "The soldiers brought back a few Force Sensitives from the planet Le'Enlo. I want to see them for myself." She pressed a few buttons on the machine and continued. "Go, no one is to disturb me."

"Of course, Master." Bastila turned and left the room. Revan flicked her wrist and locked the door. She fiddled with the controls on the machine and snuggled deeper into it.

A few hours passed with silence. Revan had been half asleep when her supposed 'locked' door swished open. Her eyes snapped open and she let out a low growl. _You are so dead for waking me. _She remained in her seat as she summoned her sabre and ignited it.

"Your bravery is irking me, droid." She threw her sabre at the assassin droid and it ducked with an almost human-like move. His red eyes glowed in the dark room and Revan snarled at him. "I gave you too much freedom in walking around as you like."

"Appeasement: I am sorry, Master. Explanation: You ordered me to give you the reports as soon as my assignments are done, Master." His eyes grew redder. "Objection: No, Master. You have not given me the amount of freedom as I would like, Master, or I would have had a rather joyous time blasting those meatbags that are loitering around the place."

Revan couldn't help but chuckle with a hint of mirth. Trust the homicidal droid to lighten up her spirits. "Right, those 'meatbags' are my underlings, and if I let you kill them all, I won't have an empire." Revan summoned her lightsabre and clipped it onto her belt. "Report."

HK seemed to sigh with disappointment. "Report: Your orders have been carried out, Master, and I must say that I had a wonderful time accomplishing them. Thank you, Master. I have eliminated Sith Master Fadious as you commanded. He is no longer functional as your advisor on Le'Enlo.

"I too have sought out news regarding the blubberish Senator Agir, Master. From the information I gathered from the information droid, it seems that he is in critical condition due to his severe heart attack. It is delightful to know how you dealt with him, Master. Very appraisable."

"I don't think there's such a word as 'blubberish', HK." Revan teased her droid.

"Defence: Damn it, Master! I'm an assassin droid, not a dictionary!"

Revan chuckled lowly and got out of her seat. "Good job done, my dear droid. With Fadious gone I'll have one less ambitious Sith on my tail. He wasn't of any use, anyway. Go tell Admiral Agir--or should I call him Chash—of the good news regarding his father. I'm sure he'll be delighted." She smirked to herself. "Chash…he despises his father so much that he's willing to change his name. Good." The satisfaction was extremely evident in her voice.

HK gave a curt droid nod and left the room to inform the admiral of his 'good news.' Revan stood by her window and gazed into deep space.

* * *

Carth 

_I should never have wanted to leave you. I should never have done those things to you. Now you and the Republic are paying for my ignorance. You're a damn bastard, Onasi, you're one damn bastard from the start._

Carth twirled with the contents in his glass and stared into it. _You went to the Dark Side because of me…_

"_Why would you think that the reason I changed was because of you?" _Her words suddenly rang clear in his mind. The admiral shook off the memory. _You're damn stubborn, woman. Just so damn stubborn._

"_Trust me kid, I've been there before. Lovers make the greatest enemies, and their war, ugh, far worse than any war in history. A pair of lovers has a sort of bond. You and lass there do. That's why you can almost, mind you, almost predict what's she's going to do; same with her. But thank the Force she hasn't realised that, yet." _Jolee's words rang in his head.

_Bond? Another of those stupid Jedi beliefs._

He stood up and walked towards his desk and gazed at his wife's holophoto. _Morgana…am I doing the right thing? _He took out a mini holoprojector. Carth turned the thing on and flipped through the images. He stopped when an image of a smiling woman appeared.

"Revan…"

The past, it seemed to him, was a bitter one with no value of remembering. Morgana died in his arms, Revan fell partially because of him. He had almost given up on his life if he hadn't seen his son and the hope of redeeming the woman he failed. Dustil stayed with him even when the boy still wasn't able to fully forgive his father; Jolee counselled him, telling him that there is still hope, even when the future was dark.

"Father?" Dustil walked towards his father and looked at the smiling image projected in front of Carth. He glanced at his son, and gave him a weak smile. The younger man looked at the projected image and sighed before he sat down on the edge of Carth's bed.

"I do believe she was a nice woman before all of this." Dustil never took his eyes off the image.

Carth took a swig from his glass and nodded. "No one would've believed that she was a Dark Lord. The cheerful smile, the generosity in helping others. She was the beacon for lost souls."

_Speaking from experience now are we, Father?_ Dustil pitied his father. It seemed that love was a curse to him. First Mother, then Revan. He understood the pain, vaguely. Selene was his life then, and when she disappeared, his world almost shattered. But then, he met Lyra. Lyra…_ Right, I almost forgot._

"Lyra wants you to come over for dinner tonight, said that it's been a long time since you went over to our place." Dustil moved his eyes to his father. "You've been distant lately."

"I've only missed a weeks' dinner with you guys, there isn't the need to fuss over me. I'm not as old as Jolee…yet." Carth chuckled. He looked into his son's eyes. "I've not been distant, Dustil, not after how we got things right. It's just…I've just…"He looked at Revan's image.

Dustil helped. "…been doing a lot of thinking." He lowered his head. "Father…we need to talk, about her."

When he was told about his father's love for the apparent murderer of his mother, Dustil had thrown a massive tantrum that involved five broken lights, three smashed mirrors and four broken chairs. It was so hard to forgive Carth, it was just so hard. If it weren't for the old Jedi's constant badgering about forgiving his father and the obvious state his father was in, Dustil wouldn't even have stepped into his room now.

"No."

"You can't keep on beating yourself up because she fell, Father."

"I hardly call fighting against her beating up myself, Dustil."

"You fight a war inside your heart, and it's eating you away."

"Your Jedi Master has a bad influence on you, son. Now you're talking like him."

Dustil barely suppressed a growl. "Damn it, Father! We both care for you, do I have to yell it out loud?"

"You're already yelling at me."

The younger man smacked his forehead with his hand. "You're so stubborn…"

"And I'm proud of it." Carth smiled wanly at him. Dustil felt that if he wasn't rational enough, he would've run straight into a wall and crashed his head into it. Carth was stubborn…extremely stubborn. Two years ago, the first thing he'd have done was to take out his lightsabre and lop off the head of the person who was irritating him, now the code of the Jedi ran through his mind as he recited it under his breath.

"Love is not suppose to destroy us, Father. She did it because she was confused, angry, and sad. Everything became empty to her. All she knew were lies and all she had was like sand seeping through an opened hand. You've nothing to do with it. So stop beating yourself up."

Carth gave in. "Son, I know you care for me. But no one can help me in my situation. You don't know what I said and did to her that day. What I've done could've killed a woman weaker than her.

"I'm not beating myself up. Well, not as much as I once did. I've just made up my mind to try my best in stopping this war, even if it kills me. After all, I'm one of the reasons it started." He leaned towards his son and patted his shoulder. "Your old man is fine, son. I'm not a lovesick teenager."

Dustil looked at the hand on his shoulder and sighed before patting it. "I know you are a grown man, Father. But you're taking things so severely I'm afraid that you'd crumble one day. Not that I mean you're weak or anything, but you're still human. We don't want you to hurt yourself trying to fix things."

"I know, son, I know." He patted Dustil again before leaning back into his seat. Carth smiled at him and then chuckled. "It's great to see you being the rational one, Dus."

Dustil laughed softly. "Don't think that I like this job, Dad. Being the rational one means being the idiot who has the most things to do." _I'm still not over this matter, Father. The truth…is not appetizing. Being a Jedi? The constant preaching's driving me nuts. But because Mother wanted me to give you another chance, to help you…I have to do this…I have to join the masquerade. _

The two remained silent for a while, with Dustil being suddenly very interested with the floor. "How's the boy? Jolee didn't say what he was going to do with him. It's said to be quite unusual to have a Force Sensitive there."

"Force Sensitives are every where, Father. But I agree too. I've been through the records, and for the past five decades, there's been only three Jedi from that planet. And one of them is still alive and kicking." He hesitated when he mentioned it. Carth looked at him and understood.

"Revan."

His son nodded his head. "Well, yes. Back to the boy then. He's in the Temple at the moment. He's very confused about things, no doubt, and wouldn't talk. I've been trying to council him for some time but he just sits there and keeps quiet. Jolee fared better with him. He's very strong in the Force but he's too untamed."

Carth didn't seem to hear all of this, his thoughts wandered off to a certain woman with long raven hair and a bright, sunny smile. "Why did she attack Le'Enlo? She wouldn't have known…"

"That I don't know either, Father. Perhaps we'd know better when the investigations are completed. Perhaps Bastila told her about her being a Le'Enlonian." Dustil shrugged his shoulders impatiently, irritated with the fact that his father wasn't listening to him earlier.

Carth looked thoughtfully out of the window and a frown was etched on his face. Dustil shook his head lightly at his father. "So, are you coming?"

"Huh, what?" He blinked at him a couple of times. "Oh, yes, I'll come tonight. Can't have your girlfriend coming to my place and drag me to your place by the ear. Right?" He chuckled at the mental image of his future daughter-in-law. Dustil laughed out loud.

"That sounds like her, Father." He stood up and thumped his father on his back. "I'll see you again tonight, then. You better remember to come."

"I will, Dustil, I will."

Long after Dustil's departure, Carth was still staring out of his window. _I need information. Information of everything, about her, about the battle, anything. _

* * *

Jax 

Jax paced around in the room that the Jedi provided him with and counted the number of footsteps he needed to walk from one side of the room to another. Jolee's words rang clear in his head as he was told of his destiny.

_I can't be a Jedi. A Force Sensitive, me? That's absurd. What would Mion think if she heard about this?_

A pang of anguish hit him when he thought of the one he loved most. Her look of pain before she fell forward haunted him as he stopped in his pacing. The guilt and anger built up in him and he tried to look out of the window to distract himself. But even the beauty of Coruscant during the night wasn't enough.

_I failed you. I broke my promise to protect you and be by your side._

The boy closed his eyes and tried his hardest to stop the tears from falling. Several blonde strands of hair fell onto his face and covered his visage like a golden veil. His memories haunted him every single minute as he attempted to forget the horror that struck his homeworld. Suddenly, he thought he heard her voice again.

_"I want you to promise me, that if anything happens to me, you'll live on and never look back into the past. It's bad for you."_

The effort to stop his tears was in vain as the clear droplets of fluid streamed down his face. Jax sat on the edge of his bed and clenched his face in his hands. An agonising scream came from him when the memories flashed before his eyes. Lights in the room brightened and some burst into tiny pieces. This was enough to startle him from his fuming.

_What the hell am I?_ His thoughts thundered in his head as he surveyed the damaged he had done. _What is wrong with me? Why can I do all these things?_

'_You're a Force Sensitive, boy, just like what I told you before.'_

Jax spun his head towards the door and saw the dark old man standing there. It took him a moment to realise that Jolee had spoken in his head and not with his voice. Jolee stepped forward and crossed his arms behind his back.

"You don't need this old man to repeat that over and over again to you, do you? I'm old, damn it, and I don't have that much breath left!" The old man stood in front of him and Jax could only look at the older man with disbelieving eyes. Jolee kept frowning at him. "Read my lips. You. Are. Force. Sensitive. Do you need me to do sign languages too?" He waved his hands around.

The boy remained startled from the old man's action and blinked a couple of times. Jolee sighed and walked towards the window. "The past is the past, boy. We shouldn't linger in the past. We don't have the luxury to be nostalgic. There's a war to fight." He turned and pointed a finger out of the window. "Not only the war outside, but also the war inside." He pointed the finger at Jax's chest. "You know what I mean."

"I can't forget." The boy finally opened his parched mouth. "I can't forget everything that happened. I can't forgive what that woman did to her, everyone, and me. This is a war I can't win. My emotions, as dangerous as the other people have put it, are drowning me." Jax grew more and more emotional. The tears prickled his eyes again and he blinked them back furiously. "I can't win the war outside, because I don't have the power to. As much as I'd like to see that woman dead I can't fight against an army of millions."

The boy squeezed his eyes tight and shook his head. Jolee took in a deep breath and sighed. "That's a heck lot of 'can'ts' in your sentences, boy. Are you volcabulry challenged or just low self-esteemed? It's that kind of attitude that makes people lose."

"Then what do you suggest I do,_ Master_? Start a one-man suicide mission against the Dark Lord of the Sith?" Anger bubbled inside him. Jax snarled at Jolee, "Strap myself with bombs and lunge myself at her army?"

Jolee side-glanced him. "I suggest you use your head, and remember the advice your loved ones gave you." The old Jedi walked towards the door. "The world doesn't revolve only around you, kid."

Dustil stepped into the room and raised an eyebrow at the shrapnel of glass on the floor. "Having a party here?"

"Yep, and you're late, again," Jolee said cheerfully. Dustil's eyebrow rose higher at his master's apparent cheerfulness and decided it was a bad thing to ask what they were doing. Getting hit on the head once with a lightsabre hilt for questioning him was already a good reminder.

The younger Jedi looked at Jax and threw him a long wooden stick. The boy gazed at it curiously and glanced back up to the two Jedi.

"Follow me." To the boy, the Jedi's gruffness sounded all too like he was unhappy about something, or maybe a little unwilling. Before Dustil walked out of the room, Jax noticed him pursing his lips and frowning at Jolee. In return, the old man's smile grew wider.

Jax obeyed and Jolee trailed behind. The trio walked into the inner part of the Temple and the boy stared at the interior with awed look on his face. _They were right. The Jedi Temple is a sight to behold._

Then he felt something tingling around him, some thing that felt like warning alarms blaring at his right ear. Instinctively, he turned and raised the wooden stick to block an onslaught made by Dustil.

The blond-haired boy stumbled backwards and raised the stick to parry off another attack. "What the hell are you doing?" Jax yelled at the Padawan. Dustil ignored his protests with a small smirk and continued his attacks. Jolee was nowhere to be seen.

He parried another hit to his leg and felt something build up in him. The confusion and anger mingled in his mind and a sudden ball of fire was at the pit of his stomach. With the feeling of frustration, Jax screamed.

And the next thing he knew, the small decorative table on the side of the corridor moved, but wasn't destroyed. Dustil merely stood in front of him with an interested, albeit irritated expression on his face. The old man stepped out from one of the pillars alongside with several Jedi Masters, and panic overwhelmed him.

_What the heck did I get myself into?_

Jolee just gave the masters an 'I told you so' look, and Dustil took the wooden stick from him with a little flourish.

_What the hell is going on?_


End file.
